kendou ha menippon! second chapter (3)

sword man who desire to master neat and orthodox kendo

This book explain the way of thinking that acquire orthodox kendo which fits the sword.

To find the chance to crash opponent is also to seek the gap of opponent actively, in other words to seek the changing of opponent. In this means to seek the gap and to seek the changing is not to watch for opportunity but to work actively to make opponent change and to be broken by sword man’s attack. The contents of gap is separated two type, one is tangible gap, in other word it is external gap of form, another is intangible gap, in other words it is mentally inner gap of form. Form and mind have relationship that is compared to two side of same coin and form influence mind and counterpart the status of mind influence form. Thus, The gap of form and mind have great relationship.

Ki attack is popular word in kendo and ki is flowing constantly in the process from stance, crash opponent , to zansin and in extreme case it is ki that is foundation of kendo skill.
Control the tip to demonstrate ki is to continue the status that is matching mind and ki and power from crouching in the beginning and it continue doing ki attack from match start.
Control the tip to demonstrate ki is connect to capture the chance.

Keep the center means that sword man set his sword tip to the center of opponent and while he keep the status he take off opponent’s sword tip from his center. To break up the center of opponent and crash opponent itself keep and defense his center. There should have working of ki to control the tip to demonstrate ki and to break up opponent’s ki underlying keeping center.

Fundamentally sword man set his sword tip to center of opponent and while he keep the status he cut in so that opponent’s sword tip is taken off from his center. The distance sword man and opponent confront with each other is separated into two parts. The distance between sword man’s hand and sword tip is called my distance, on the other hand the distance between opponent’s hand and sword tip is called his distance. My distance is my position and his distance is his position. To step on his distance, in short sword man break opponent’s intangible form which is called ki wall and he break opponent’s tangible form so that he become advantageous condition.

There is a teaching that sword man keep distance that opponent feel far from him and he feel close to opponent. In fact the distance is same length for sword man and opponent.
There is physical contradiction sword man feel close to opponent and opponent feel far from sword man because the distance is same length in fact. But because of their feelings and level of confidence and difference of techniques and how to ready and viewpoint, the feelings the two people receive to confront with each other are different. sword man should master distance to accumulate training kendo.

kill ki means sword man demonstrate ki for whole his body and opponent is overwhelmed and to be broken by his momentum and he crash opponent that timing. Because of sword man’s momentum, opponent become not to be able to attack him.

kill sword means that fundamentally sword man set his sword tip to center of opponent and while he keep that status he cut in and take off opponent’s sword tip from center of him.
To kill sword, opponent’s momentum wither and suppress the power to demonstrate technique. In case sword man kill opponent’s sword, he should do that not only by hand, but he should do that accompany with body movement.

To kill technique, sword man push down opponent’s sword when opponent set up crash him or he attack opponent aggressively every times and he do not give opponent any time
to attack him.

Development of game differ weather sword man can control the tip or not. It is important to control the tip with momentum that he will crash in any times. If he remain passively, he turn behind to opponent.

The work to control the tips is called “sen” in kendo and “sen” have three types. that is called “sensennosen” and “sen” “gonosen”

Opponent have will to crash sword man and he recognize the will to set up crash and just before opponent set up crash sword man, he control the tip and crash opponent which do not have form and so that is called “sensennosen”. and also called “kakarinosen” because he attack opponent by himself. There is “debana” technique.

Opponent set up crash sword man before and he set up crash before opponent’s attack work so that it is called “senzennosen” and also it is called “tuinosen” because opponent set up crash before and just after that sword man control the tip and crash opponent. There are “nuki” “suriage” “oujigaesi” technique.

After opponent crash sword man, he receive the technique at once and control the tip and crash opponent. That is called “gonosen”. There is “utiotosi” technique.

Sword man should keep in mind not to be too aggressive and too passive so that he can response opponent’s attack momently. Sword man should not bias either aggressive or passive in mind and ki. that is called long awaited match.